Improvement in spinning articles of sheet metal



F. J. SEYMOUR.

Spinning Artiqles of Sheet-Metal. No. 134,939. Q v Patentedlan.14,1878.

FREDERICK J. SEYMOUR, OF WOLOOTTVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSI'GNOR TO HIMSELF, ACHILLE F. MIGEON,

OF SAME PLACE, AND FRANKLIN FAR- BELL, OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPINNING ARTICLES 0F SHEET METAL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 134,939, dated January 14, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. SEY- MOUR, of VVolcottville, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Spinning Articles of Sheet Metal, of which the following is a specification:

Before my invention articles of sheetbrass, copper, and similar metal had been spun up by means of tools or rollers acting against the metal and pressing the same to a form or mold; and the hollow article had also been shaped between rollers. None of these devices could be employed practically to operate upon sheet iron, steel, or other similar hard metal, especiall y when the hollow article was deep, because the metal would cut through under the operation of the tool instead of being drawn in and changed in shape.

Articles of hollow ware made in iron have been subjected usually to successive stamping operations between dies, and the metal is frequently annealed and often tinned to prevent injury previous to or during the final shaping operation that is performed by handhammers.

I have discovered that sheet'iron and similar ductile metal can be shaped by a spinning operation whilein a heated state, and by that means articles of hollow ware can be made out of iron very perfectly and cheaply without injury to the metal, and in such a manner that the thickness and strength can be left upon the bottom, or where subjected to the greatest wear, instead of the article being thickest at the upper edges, where the sheet-iron is drawn in. My invention therefore involves a new method of producing hollow articles from sheet metal, mechanism for facilitating the manufacture of such articles, and a new and useful article of manufacture in the article produced.

In the drawing, Figure l is a plan of the machine employed in heating and spinning up the article in sheet-iron, and Fig. 2 is a sec tion of the heating device vertically.

I remark that, my improvements being especially adapted to the manufacture of articles of sheet-iron, that term only may be employed; but the improvement is intended to be availed of with sheet-steel or any other metal that will spin up to form more easily and reliably when heated than when at the ordinary temperature.

The bed a is provided with heads b sustaining the mandrel 0, upon which is the form or mold (Z, upon the surface of which the sheetiron is to be spun up by the action of the tools 0 and f.

As to the tools themselves and the construction of the parts for carrying them, I remark that they may be of any kind that are known and are adapted to spinning up articles of sheet metal. I however prefer, and, have shown, the mold or form (I and tools 6 and f, the latter being rollers, mounted in slide-rests and operated in a manner similar to that set forth in my application for a patent dated January 20, 1872; and it will generally be preferable that the roller 6 shall be pressed to its work by a spring, so that it may yield in spinning irregular articles or hollow ware with curved or ribbed forms sectionally. This yielding tool and its mode of operation are set forth in Letters Patent N 0. 80,836, granted to me.

Theblank of iron is in a heatedcondition during the operation of spinning, the heat being suflicient to soften the metal and cause it to yield freely to the reducing and shaping operations of the tools in spinning. The heat, however, must not be too great, or the metal may be made too thin under the pressure of the tools.

In cases where the sheet-iron disk is sufficiently thick to retain the required heat the blank may be heated in a furnace and clamped against the form (1 by the revolving button it and its mandrel k,- but usually it will be preferable to apply heat to the sheet-iron blank during the revolving and spinning operations. For this purpose a jet of gas and atmosphere in combustion may be directed upon the blank, or the heat applied in any other suitable manner; but I prefer a furnace, I, placed near the spinning mechanism and containing fuel, such as coke. The furnace is shown as lined with firebrick, and containing a grate, m, beneath which is an airpipe and damper n, by which the workman can regulate or stop the blast; and this damper is to be provided with a handle in a convenient position. A hollow arm, 9, extending from the furnace, serves to direct the flame and heat upon the sheet-iron blank in the machine for heating the same as it revolves. The entire furnace may be placed in or upon a circular support, 0, so that it may be partially revolved for directing the flame upon that portion of the blank that is about to be operated upon by the spinning-tools so as to heat it properly. A connection, 1', may

be used between the furnace l and the sliderest carrying the tools so as to move the furnace automatically for the aforesaid purpose; or the arm 19 only may be moved, a suitable joint being provided between the same and the furnace.

The operator and his tools should be pro- "acted from the heat by means" of a screen or I claim as my invention 1. The method of spinning hollow articles of sheet-iron or similar metal by the action of the spinning mechanism upon the sheet of metal in a heated state, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of spinning mechanism, substantially as specified, with means for directin g upon the revolving blank of sheet metal a blast of artificial heat or flame, substantially as set forth.

- 3. A kettle or other hollow article made of one piece of sheet iron or steel, shaped and reduced to a proper thickness by a rolling operation, the same forming a new article of manufacture. a

4. A revolving form or mold and a spinning tool or roller mounted in a spring or yielding bearing so as to spin the metal to the shape of the. mold, in combination with a roller or tool acting against the first roller or tool to spread the metal and prevent wrinkles and inequalities, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 20th day of September,

FREDERICK J. SEYMOUR.

Witnesses:

OHAs. F. BRooKEn, J. W. HARTMER. 

